


Courtship

by lodessa



Category: Codex Alera - Jim Butcher
Genre: Courtship, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Political Marriage, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-31
Updated: 2010-12-31
Packaged: 2018-02-27 14:26:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2696291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lodessa/pseuds/lodessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Isana undertakes a mission to strengthen relations with the Marat by arranging a diplomatic marriage or two, she doesn't expect that she will end up part of one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courtship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beckyh2112](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beckyh2112/gifts).



Things were never as simple as they ought to be; Isana thought to herself. When she had undertaken this mission to strengthen relations with the Marat by arranging a diplomatic marriage or two, she had thought it would be a good way to get away from all the stares at court in the wake of Araris's death. She had thought it would be an easy way to make herself useful. Unfortunately, it was not turning out to be as easy as she'd thought to arrange a match satisfactory to any of the Marat leaders. 

“I know you told me so, Doroga.” she sighed as they lead the terrified potential groom to the headman's sister in law Hashat back to his tent. It seemed that Hashat enjoyed testing her potential mates, and so far none of the Alerans Isana had had introduced Hashat to had come close to measuring up to her standards. 

“Hashat is a strong leader. She cannot afford to accept anything that seems to her to be weakness, so the cultural differences are too strong.” He replied, “We would be better off finding someone who works with their hands.”

Isana groaned in frustration, “I wish it worked that way, but in order to build alliances through marriage the people involved need to be important, or high political status.”

“Your people's rules for everything are full of nonsense.”

Before she had gotten to know him, Doroga's remarks would have seemed threatening and hostile, but now Isana saw them for what they were, genuine bewilderment coupled with a desire to help her. The headman could be fierce in battle but otherwise he was a surprisingly gentle man.

“It is too bad that you will not consider remarriage Doroga; you would make a fine husband for an Aleran maid.” She told him.

“Your Aleran maids are whelps to me. One's mate should be a partner not a responsibility.”

“What about a widow then? Traditionally Alerans want a pure bride but it seems that your people are not so hung up on the issue.”

Doroga looked at her quizzically. “Is this why you are alone, Isana? Aleran men are even more foolish than I thought.”

Isana was taken by surprise, “Oh no, after all I have been married twice already. I just... two husbands is quite enough to bury for me.”

Doroga looked her in the eyes, “You have not grieved at all for him, have you? Instead you gallop about like a bee, attending to everything else.”

Isana swallowed. She had lashed out at Tavi (she still couldn't stop thinking of him as such) when he had said the same thing six months ago. She was so tired of everyone telling her how to feel and what to do. She was about to tell Doroga where he could take his meddlesome comments in spite of his importance as diplomatic contact when he further surprised her.

“Isana, I do not hold falsehoods close to me. In a mate I expect strength and loyalty and an iron will. I expect someone who will not back down or defer to me but who knows when to fight and when to remain still. If you want me to consider marriage to an Aleran, she must possess these qualities. I have only encountered one such as I could consider for a mate. You are not ready though, not ready to be courted. Perhaps you never will be, and perhaps I am not the man for it, but we will never know until you take time to let your past go.”

Isana found herself speechless. Things truly were less simple than she had imagined. 

Doroga was a a powerful man and Isana had always been attracted to power. Perhaps that is why what he said that day would not leave her head. The princeps and greatest swordsman, she had never fallen for anything second best. But the headman was nothing like Septimus or Araris. Both men had been courtly, controlled, conflicted. Doroga was natural, at peace, organic. He did not need her as they had. Isana had always been one to be needed. She filled any void she found. Septimus had needed her and Bernard and Tavi and Araris. Now no one needed her. Octavian was the First Lord and he had his First Lady. Bernard had Amara. The others were dead. 

She was alone. The thought of what Doroga was saying might simply be affecting her because she was so isolated. 

Still, she dreamed of him that night, dreamed more fervently than she had dreamed in years.

She went to see him the next morning. It was cold, it was always cold here, and she shivered as she made her way to seek him out. Isana stopped to greet Walker before announcing her presence to the gargant's companion. He seemed to look at her with questions but perhaps that was her own mind playing tricks on her.

Doroga seemed to be expecting her. As she took in the sight of him, Isana wondered how she had never considered the possible tension between them. For all her ideas about Marat and Alerans intermarrying, she had not considered it for herself. Her biases were perhaps deeper than she realized. Now, however, she could not help noticing what she had been oblivious to before.

They would call her the black widow. She knew that. 

“Doroga, I believe that among your people it is customary for a man to ask the woman for a quest to prove his worth if he means to win her.” She knew she was being abrupt but she was not sure that if she started with courtesies she might not back out and return home with no further discussion.

“That is so. The task she chooses indicates whether she is interested in him or not. For instance if the man is a strong swimmer but a poor hunter a woman who means to accept him might ask him to swim across a lake rather than slay a beast for her.”

“I am not sure I know your qualities as well as I might to make such a call, and yet I have a task that I would have the man who wishes to win me perform. Should he succeed, he is the man that I suspect you may be.”

“What is it that you would have him do?”

“Help me grieve and wash away the past. I do not know how to do this for myself.”

“It is an unusual task. I accept it.”

Everyone said she had done everything she could for Araris, but she had not died for him. This was what the secret voice in her heart told her. Isana found it strange how the more time she spent with Doroga the more often that secret voice became spoken and that Doroga did not turn away as she described herself, rotten as her worst moods saw her. 

He did not try and tell her she was wrong. He just listened and accepted.

She admitted more to him than to anyone else. She told him about her resentment of Amara, about what she had done to Tavi, about how beholden she had felt to the men who had loved her. She told him about Lady Aquitaine and the devil's bargain she had struck. More than once she thought he must surely change his mind and back away from her.

They spent long weeks walking and sitting and wandering through the valley. She laid in her tent at night, freezing and burning and wondering what Doroga was thinking, until one night she made her way to him and found he was also awake.

She felt a little embarrassed and brazen approaching him in the night. She felt a little like a traitor. She felt nervous and excited.

He smiled softly at her and she fell into his arms where he held her more like a child than a lover. She broke down like one, crying all the unshed tears for her womanhood and he held her and smoothed her hair. After that, he began to speak more. He told her about his boyhood, about his wife, about Kitai as a girl. The physical strength that had once intimidated her, now comforted her. Often it did more than that.

Still, it was not until the midsummer festival that they spoke again of courtship. Almost a year had passed since their first discussion of it, and Isana realized they had never decided who was to determine when she was healed. She said as much to Doroga.

“I think we cannot judge for ourselves. We are neither of us impartial. Perhaps it is time to return to your people. Our children may judge for us.” He concluded and Isana felt a little disappointed; she had been imagining passions unleashed and wild abandon. 

The First Lord and Lady laughed when their parents came to them with the issue. Then they took one good hard look at the two of them and Kitai declared that clearly Doroga had successfully completed his quest and glared at Tavi as if to silence any dissension. He did not make any. Mostly his mouth hung open like a fish.

“Didn't I tell you I would find a suitable couple for a diplomatic marriage.” She told him.

“Mother, if you wanted a husband did you really have to leave Alera to find one?” Tavi smiled.

“Well, we can't have you being the only trendsetter.” she replied.

There was laughter and merriment but mostly it felt like waiting as the warmth built up within her in anticipation.

“Are you sure you are not an earthcrafter?” she murmured, as they finally found themselves alone once more.

He bent to kiss her and small talk was forgotten. Isana could not imagine how she had ever not thought of Doroga as a potential lover. His skin was on fire as his arms enfolded her in an embrace. As he kissed and caressed her neck and shoulders, Isana wondered how she had wasted so long not being with him. Impatient, she ground herself against him, feeling his size and arousal through their clothes. They had the rest of their lives for leisurely lovemaking but after all those cold nights of longing she wanted it now and she wanted it hard.

It was fortunate that the Marat didn't wear much since her shaking hands had little dexterity as she moved to free them of enough clothing for access. Doroga seemed a little surprised at her hurry but let her guide him back onto the bed. She was a little surprised herself. She had never behaved like this with her prior lovers; she felt wild.

She rode him until they both arrived and then fell into an exhausted sleep.

She awoke with his head between her legs licking and sucking in a way that had her convulsing against him before she knew it. It was then only natural to fall back into kisses and find his hands caressing her breasts. Before she knew it she was exploding once more against his hand and before she could think to reciprocate he was finally inside of her once more. With each slow deep thrust, he filled her utterly and completely making her shudder and moan as they writhed together on the bed.

Next time, she told herself, next time she would be the one waking him up with the warm wet mouth.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a Codex Alera fic exchange to the prompt: Doroga/Isana. Doroga comes courting the (powerful)(dangerous)(impressive) Aleran widow


End file.
